Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	grace_n	let_v	lord_n	5,054	5	3.8892	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71231	Enter into thy closet, or A method and order for private devotion A treatise endeavouring a plain discovery of the most spiritual and edifying course of reading, meditation, and prayer; and so, of self examination, humiliation, mortification, and such most necessary Christian duties, by which we sue out the pardon of our sins from Heaven, and maintain an holy converse with God. Together with particular perswasives thereunto, and helps therein.	Wettenhall, Edward, 1636-1713.	1666 (1666)	Wing W1495B; ESTC R217163	97,436	340

about my business remembring not onely how displeasing it is to God but how unprofitable to my self to draw near unto him with my body onely and honour him with my lips when my soul is afar off Whatsoever I hear of the Word read or preached I must remember all along to apply unto my self not carping at or censuring the Preacher but taking all in the best sense Possibly it may be long of my sins he did no better or so ill nor looking so much how it concerns others as my own particular state and manners And if there be any thing which more nearly toucheth and concerneth me that let me be sure by some means or other to keep or set home upon my memory perhaps there may be some place of Scripture cited to confirm explain or illustrate it let me note that place and the being able to find it may in case I am forgetful bring the matter to my remembrance The exercises of divine worship being all ended I am with the same reverence to depart the Church with which I entred it not rudely hastily and disorderly as the common manner of the multitude is courteously saluting any of my neighbours which I have occasion to salute and that with inward love and good will remembring that the ancient Christians had such an usage at their Assemblies as the Kiss of Charity it is but Christian therefore for me to use a charitable and chearful Salutation of any of my Christian neighbours Sect. 6. Of due behaviour between the Moruing and Evening Service My return with my family home should be with the same gravity and care with which was my passage to the Church my talk rather of what I heard or learnt than of any worldly matter except necessary occasions enforce the contrary And being come home one of my first businesses should be to step aside into my Closet if possibly I can and there according as I have found my my self affected to apply my self unto God If I have been awakened to any duty raised to any hopes of Gods favour strengthened in any of my holy resolutions informed of any thing touching which I was ignorant or the like there briefly to bless God for it if I have been dull and improfitable there to bewail it both which may be done after this or some such sort I Bless thee O Lord my God for the comforts of thy House for thy awakenings of me to my duty for any softenings of my heart and sense of thy love or hopes of injoying thee hereafter Not unto me O Lord not unto me who am a vain hard-hearted sinful wretch of my self but to thy holy Name be the praise Now encrease I beseech thee this thy goodness to me and confirm me in thy Grace evermore Let me grow in the knowledge fear and love of thee and any impressions thereof which I have this day received suffer me not to loose but enable me to bring forth fruit unto perfection to the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Mediatour Amen If this prayer may not suit with my condition it may be presumed that as I have knowledge enough to see it doth not so I have abilities enough in some tolerable way to represent and bewail before God my barrenness heedlesness worldliness carnality and whatever other great distempers I find in my soul which accordingly I ought briefly to do And this being done let me recollect my self and view over in my mind those severals which I have that day learned or been affected with for this will further imprint them upon my memory Less than a quarter of an hour may suffice hereto and though haply sometimes I may see occasion to allow more yet so much sure I may afford at all times Having thus fastened upon my spirit my spiritual gains I now depart to my company for the necessary refreshment of my body which this day was not appointed to abridge me of Let me therefore be chearful and eating my meat in singleness of heart rejoyce before my God but let not my joy by any means be wanton idle vain or intemperate Of the rest of the time which passeth between the publick duties of the day the imployment ought to be sacred at least wholesome and such which may not indispose me for the remaining part of the daies work and hereof much care is to be had First As to my discourse touching which if it be the Apostles Precept at all times to be observed that our speech be alway with grace seasoned Col. 4. 6. with salt certainly more specially ought it to be such on this day And though it cannot be accounted absolutely sinful to converse about secular matters of concernment if occasion so require yet 1. To be wholly taken up with these cannot but argue a greater care of this world than sense of Christianity if so be there be any truth in that speech of him who is infallible Out of the abundance of the heart the Mat. 74. 34. mouth speaketh And 2. To be needlesly meddling with such affairs or idly busying our selves about other mens actions and concernes which are the ordinary subject of mens discourses after dinner on the Lords day is at the best but a mixture of worldliness and vanity and it is made the character of naughty men that their tongues walk through Psal 73. the earth Secondly As to my actions care too is to be taken It is not questionless unlawful upon due occasion that is on account of mine own or others necessity or considerable conveniency to put mine hands to an ordinary action as is evident Luk. 13. 9 5. from our Saviours both doctrine and practice But as abovesaid of discourse so now of business to be needlesly imployed in worldly matters and ordinary work cannot but be some kind of profanation of the day as being contrary to its sanctification that is the spending it to other uses and ends than those for which it was set apart And albeit in this case no certain perpetual rule is to be set the conditions of men being various but each mans Christian discretion and piety ought to mete out to himself what he in his own conscience and in the fear of God considering his occasions judgeth fit in which we are not one to judge another notwithstanding I cannot think that man takes such care of himself as he ought or is duly cautious of indisposing his heart for his duty who can constantly suffer all this time between Morning and Evening service to pass over with him without any thing of devotion either in his privacy or family or just as the same time passeth over every day This I say cannot be to sanctifie the day because not to separate it from common and to use it to distinct ends Soon therefore after dinner ended amongst all the family it is meet that I call the younger sort and set them to the learning their Carechisme and as to

〈◊〉 through my Saviour Christ Jesus in whose Name I further pray as by him taught when I pray to say Our Father c. Chap. X. A form of prayer made as the other which may be used in our Evening Privacy IN like manner the Christian having entred his Closet with some such ejaculatory or short prayer as before directed to and having read and meditated as in the morning may I presume very profitably use with such alteration as his condition shall require and his discretion direct the ensuing Prayer O Most Holy and Gracious Father the searcher of all hearts who seest my down-lying as well as up-rising darkness and light being both alike to thee who art near unto all my wayes and espiest my thoughts while they are yet afar off I have here set my self before thee to pay my evening homage and desire to present both my soul and body as is most due a living Sacrifice to thee my God who hast made and redeemed both But most unfit O Lord are they to be to thee presented every part of both being naturally corrupt and abominable and nothing in me free from the loathsome defilement of sin My soul is desperately wicked and all its powers perverse and bent upon evil My mind alienated from thee through the ignorance that is within me My affections unruly and masterless My will full of enmity to thy Law and enslaved to the service of divers lusts and pleasures And as to my body in iniquity O Lord was I shapen and in sin did my Mother conceive me And ever since have all my members been servants unto iniquity and instruments of wickedness With my whole man have I obeyed the law of sin and fulfilled the desires of my flesh and corrupt mind I scarce can think of that sin in which I have not had my hands one part of my time or other In sin O God have I spent not onely my vainer age and the days of my ignorance but my ripest years and those of fullest discretion which I have yet attain'd to Since the light of thy Gospel hath shone into my opened eys since thou hast touched my heart with a sense of that evil which there is in sin so wicked and perverse a servant have I been that knowing my Lords will I have both neglected to do accordingly and presumptuously done contrary unto it To the very present time O Lord how † frequently and how † sadly do I backslide What † liberty do I allow my self How † heedlesly do I converse I walk at a meer peradventure with thee my God Notwithstanding all my vows and promises of watchfulness unto obedience this very day how little hath thy fear been in my heart and from hence comes it to pass that I have so miserably departed from thee by ** * Here confess any of the miscarriages of the day which thou hast been supposed to have taken notice of in thy meditation With what stripes therefore do I deserve to be beaten And how righteous a quarrel against me hath not onely thy Justice but thy very Grace and Mercy Notwithstanding O Blessed Father give thy poor creature leave to beseech and let him prevail with thee not to take that advantage against him which justly thou mayest Rather now thou hast borne so long break my heart by this thy goodness and make thy forbearance and long-suffering to lead me to repentance Vouchsafe unto me thy sanctifying Spirit Let it fill me with an holy shame of my former wayes And let the sense of my own unworthiness towards thee beget in me an holy indignation against my self a passionate and constant zeal by future diligence as far as is possible to redeem and repair some of my lost and most sadly mis-spent time Let my heart be never void of a stedfast purpose of serving thee in the impartial performance of every known duty especially of *** and careful avoidance of every sin * Here put in any thing for which thou findest occasion And having thus given to will do thou of the same thy good pleasure give also to do following the preventions of thy Grace by the continual assistances thereof so that I may proceed from one virtue unto another perfecting holiness in thy fear and keeping a conscience void of offence towards thee and all men And this my cordial purpose and perseverance in endeavours of pleasing thee do thou through the bloud of my Saviour graciously accept laying not to my charge any of my former sins nor visiting upon me either the neglects or transgressions of my duty At least however thou shalt here deal with thy servant in the last day acquit him of all guilt and through the merits of thy Son let him obtain remission of his sin and an inheritance in thine everlasting Kingdom In the mean while as to the necessaries of this present life give thy servant what thou pleasest and what thou seest best for him even food convenient Thou needest not O God my service but accept my ambition of being serviceable unto thee and bless me both with strength and opportunities for it and if it may be thy holy will with success therein Father I pray unto thee also for all men forasmuch as thou art a God who wouldest have all to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of thy truth especially for all and every member and members of thy Universal Church and for the particular Church of this the Land of my nativity For the Kings Majesty the Queen and the whole Royal Family for all that are in authority for the several Stewards of thy Mysteries the Ministers of thy Gospel for him in particular to whose oversight thou hast committed me that thou wilt give unto them all according to thy most gracious pleasure the blessings both of this life and that which is to come especially such measures of thy Spirit that every shoulder may be fitted for its burden and all amongst us may faithfully serve thee according to their several degrees so that this whole Land may be blessed with abundance of prosperity and peace so long as the Sun and Moon endureth Forget not peculiarly to shew mercy unto the relations friends helpers and well-wishers of thy servant Reward I beseech thee all their love and forgive good Lord divert and put an end unto all others malice or enmity Let thine eyes be ever open upon and the bowels of thy compassion be moved towards all thy wanting and suffering servants Support them under and graciously deliver them out of all their distresses and let the end be peace and righteousness and blessedness for ever Thy servant will speak yet once more and praise thee for thine infinite love and compassion to that miserable nature of which he is a partaker in revealing to us when we had lost or corrupted it the knowledge of thy self both by the light of Nature and most clearly by thy holy Word in sending thy Son for our redemption

should pray with my Soul and all that is within me and not be cordial honest and sincere in those prayers which I so make And therefore as God doth so I say every Christian ought to look cheifly to the inward disposition of his soul in his Devotions We may note further for our quickening herein that God not onely requireth the heart in prayer but hath accepted and often doth accept the inward breathings of it and answer them as fully as if all other circumstances belonging to the outward manner of prayer had been observed As in the case of Hannah who in that so successfull and effectual prayer of hers spaks in her heart onely Now prayer is then right as to its inward manner when there is an hearty excercise of Christian graces and affections suitable to the substance of the prayer which we offer up to God That is to say to go through the parts of prayer I adore and call upon God as I ought when in my calling upon him I really believe that he is and that he is such as he hath revealed himself to be and as I now expresse or conceive him and therefore with reverence humbly submit my self before his majesty It is a piece of holy skill worthy taking notice of which is observable in the prayers of holy men in Scripture They usually so frame their invocations or callings upon God as may suit with their main business at the throne of grace and strenghthen their faith for those particular mercies which they aske Thus in that sorenamed prayer of Hezechias's against the Assyrian Armies O Lord of hosts for he prayed against a mighty host and for deliverance from it God of Israel he therefore so cals God to put him in mind of his covenant with Israel that he might stretch forth his hand for the deliverance of his own people who dwellest between the Cherubims that is who hast here recorded thy name and promised to meet and blesse and from thy mercy Seat to answer thy people He therefore makes mention of Gods promised presence or dwelling between the Cherubims that he might prevail with God to save that City where his Temple and this his mercy Seat was placed Every expression in this his invocation hath somewhat in it proper to his suit and of force to strengthen his faith and dependance upon God that he might the more surely prevail In short then the graces to be exercised in adoration or calling upon God cheifly are Faith Fear or Reverence of God and Humility I then confesse my self to God as I ought when with hearty sorrow and repentance which if earnest will be accompanied with a kind of indignation against my self I lay open impartially my sins before him not sparing the sweetest or closest and with an humble sense of my own vilenesse impotency and emptinesse acknowledg my wants or his just judgments upon me for any of my sins So that the chief grace to be exercised peculiarly in confession is repentance or Godly sorrow an humble and tender sense of what we confesse accompanied with shame of our selves Further then I aske as I ought when as sensible of mine own unworthinesse out of an humble trust in God through the merits of his Son which trust his gracious promises and declarations of good will through him by me ever had respect to do encourage me to take up I heartily desire what I aske at his hands or at least am heartily sorry if I cannot say I heartily desire all I aske Now because while I am asking it so cometh to passe that I often intermix somewhat of vow as in asking the pardon of some past sins many times I engage to diligent and watchfull opposition for the future against them therefore is it necessary that if I would ask aright I ask with resolution and purpose of endeavouring a new life And further for that I cannot expect forgivenesse from God except I forgive from my heart my brethren therefore I must ask in charity So then the Graces cheifly to be exercised in Petition are First Faith or an humble trust and hope in God through Jesus Christ that I shall speed which is most truly Praying in his name Secondly Love towards God and holinesse Thirdly a stedfast purpose of obedience which is the most considerable part of repentance Fourthly Charity towards my Brethren Lastly I then praise or give God thanks for his mercies as I ought when I have an inward acknowledgement and sense that it is him alone and through his meer savour that I enjoy these mercies and when not onely I my self do admire but desire that heaven and earth may admire him for his goodness when also I do all this with a resolution of improving the mercy given that is of walking as it becometh one who hath been vouchsafed of such a blessing So that the graces to be exercised in thanksgiving chiefly are 1. Humility or a sense of our own unworthiness and of Gods free mercy and grace the onely fountain of all received or hoped for benefits 2. Love or an administration of his goodness accompanied with a desire that he may receive all possible glory for it 3. Resolution and study of greater and more suitable obedience and duty to him These are those graces in the exercise of which the due inward manner of prayer or a praying temper consists a composition so amiable as that it will ever where it is send up an odour of a sweet savour unto Heaven and delight shall I say or overcome the Almighty Majesty Chap. VIII Of the best outward manner of Prayer in sit postures and sit words Of praying by gift and the inconveniences alledgeable against it Of praying by a form and the inconveniencies alledgable against it An accommodation and reconcilement of both IN the outward manner of prayer the chief points considerable are the use of sit postures and meet words Now though the posture of the body seem to be a small matter yet methinks my prayers wants their due solemnity if not performed in a posture of worship True it is many a devout prayer a man may make riding upon his horse back walking in the fields and the like and right Christian is it thus to sanctifie my necessary journies or the time which otherwise would be wholy lost in travel or stoln away by such recreatory obambulation But these are occasional and not my set and solemn devotions Here my body being otherwise necessarily imployed the most which I can give to God is my soul or if to my thoughts my words be added it is as much as well can be But in my fixt course of devotion it is not to be supposed that I worship God aliud agens imployed with any thing but his worship and therefore herein let my body as well as my soul be taken up in meet acts of worship Now that I account to be the best posture of worship which best expresseth an inward reverence of that Majesty